A Press Ganey report describes trends in patient satisfaction for hospitals, outpatient departments, emergency rooms, physicians and home care and lists top priorities for patients in improving their experience of…
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Pricing for drugs is an arcane world. The Office of Inspector General has attempted to shed light on pricing benchmarks and methodologies and in a new report tries to provide…
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A new report by Rand Corp. researchers published in the American Journal of Managed Care finds rapid growth in the use of retail clinics and identifies some of the factors…
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A new paper at the National Bureau of Economic Research examines the relationship between technology and spending growth in health care. While no firm conclusions are reached, a country's willingness…
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How many people will enroll in the coverage offered via the reform law in 2014 either in Medicaid or commercial coverage? A new paper based on survey work suggests it…
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The Annals of Internal Medicine carries a study on the effectiveness of interventions to reduce the 30-day readmissions rate. This meta-review found little consistent evidence to support the value of…
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No Potpourri next week due to the holiday, so enjoy this festive collection of health care nuggets, including pay-for-performance in large physician groups, employer views on the effect of the…
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A Mark Farrah Associates release provides information on the enrollment and margin status of the largest health insurers. The data suggest that enrollment has begun to grow again, with self-funded…
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A final summary of Medicare's disease management pilots gives a bleak picture of the value of the efforts. While there are design and methodological critiques of the Medicare program that…
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Massachusetts Special Commission on Provider Price Reform has released its momentous report on how to address the surging health care costs in the state, which appear to be largely caused…
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Drug manufacturers have a new trick up their sleeve to get consumers to use their expensive branded products instead of cheaper alternatives--copay coupon programs. These programs significantly raise spending with…
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The cold is approaching so curl up on the sofa and enjoy the warmth of our Potpourri, this week featuring results from a pay-for-performance program, the effect of the health…
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It stands to reason that a care transition program will improve outcomes in regard to hospitalized stroke and heart attack patients, but an AHRQ research review finds little solid evidence…
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The latest Towers Watson survey of employer intentions regarding health benefits indicates that significant changes may occur in the next two to three years, but the biggest danger may be…
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Research reported in Health Affairs examines the Mayo Clinic's experience after increasing cost-sharing for its employees. Reductions in the use of many discretionary services seem to have been sustained over…
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About this Blog
The Healthy Skeptic is a website about the health care system, and is written by Kevin Roche, who has many years of experience working in the health industry. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements through Roche Consulting, LLC and may be reached at khroche@healthy-skeptic.com.